The French Trade Union “Fédération des Employés et Cadres Forces Ouvrières" are fighting in against a regulation on exceptions of shop opening on Sundays for so-called International Tourists Zones. For more information on this issue, please click here.

The European Sunday Alliance participated in the public consultation on the review on the Working Time Directive

The European Sunday Alliance participated in the public consultation on the review on the Working Time Directive

The European Commission’s is currently reviewing the Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) and launched an online public consultation of the Directive. A public consultation is a tool used by the European Commission to gather insights and contributions from all citizens and organisations.

The purpose of the Working Time Directive is to protect the health and safety of employees by setting down minimum standards, applicable throughout the EU, relating to working time regulations. The Directive applies to minimum periods of daily rest, weekly rest and annual leave, to breaks and maximum weekly working time and to certain aspects of night work and patterns of work.

The European Sunday Alliance participated in the public consultation, as follows:

The European Sunday Alliance is a network of trade unions, employers’ organisations, national Sunday Alliances, civil society organisations and church organisations. Due to this huge variety of organisations the Alliance decided to remain neutral, except on this question: A work-free Sunday and decent working hours are of paramount importance for EU-citizens. Current legislation and practices need to be more protective of the dignity, safety and health of everyone and should more attentively promote the balancing of professional and family/private life. Employment, the creation of jobs and economic competitiveness are the main requirements for Europe. However competitiveness, decent work and a common weekly day of rest go hand in hand: Competitiveness needs innovation, innovation needs creativity and creativity needs recreation! The EU should fulfill its obligation under Art.31 EUCFR and Art.153 TFEU and promote decent working hours, which exclude in general working late evenings, nights, bank holidays and Sundays. Empirical studies prove that non-standard working hours cause a de-synchronisation of the social rhythms, which has a serious negative effect on the health and safety of workers. Unsustainable working time patterns can lead to increased stress and illnesses. People usually work on Sundays or at irregular hours out of financial necessity rather than by choice. Work-free weekends traditionally support the independence of persons from a purely economic-driven lifestyle. Sundays are the reference for the time organisation of state and society. The Directive 94/33/EC acknowledges Sunday as the weekly rest day for young people. It is important to enable families to enjoy a proper family life. In times of growing individualism collective spare time becomes more important. Only a well-protected common weekly day of rest as requested in the European Social Charter enables citizens to enjoy full participation in cultural, sports, social and religious life.

First European Interest Group WORK-LIFE BALANCE launched

3 March 2015

3rd March 2015 – On the very day when the European Day for a Work Free Sunday is celebrated across Europe, at the EU Parliament, and in the presence of MEPs from different political groups, the European Sunday Alliance launched the first European Interest Group on WORK-LIFE BALANCE. For the first time, the interest group - supported by representatives of politicians, trade unions, business executives, family and sports organisations and representatives of churches and religious communities - brought together 50 people to discuss how to ensure that EU legislation respects and promotes workers' health and promotes a better balance between family and private life and work. Read more

Welcome to our new Belgian member

Welcome to the new member “Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond - Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique”!

It has more than 1,5 million affiliates and is one of the 3 officially as representative recognized trade union confederations in Belgium.

It’s one of the founding members of the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC), as well as the International trade Unions Confederation (ITUC). On the international level, ABVV-FGTB is involved in a growing number of campaigns with other social movements (e.g. Climate Coalition).

On 25th February 2014, in Dusseldorf, at Ver.di headquarters, the German Sunday Alliance held its Annual meeting aiming at taking stock of campaigns in the different federal states and regional alliances with a view to protect a work-free Sunday and to defend the right for German workers and citizens to enjoy a common day of rest with family and friends.

Although Germany is the country where there is more rigid legislation as regards, for instance, shop opening hours on Sundays, late evenings and holidays, and has one of the most favorable working time regulation for commerce workers, many differences exist in the various German Federal States. This is the case, in particular, for those regions that have borders with other countries where opening on Sundays is subject to less stringent rules.

The European Sunday Alliance was invited to give a speech on the most recent European initiatives to protect a work-free Sunday. In particular, Laila Castaldo, UNI Europa Policy Officer for Commerce, spoke about the possible legal avenues to recognize Sunday as a common day of rest in the EU and the status of the revision of the European working time directive now that negotiations between social partners at European level have failed. Susanne Herkommer from the Brussels Office of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) and Anna Echterhoff from the Secretariat of the European Sunday Alliance reported on the recent European conference on “work-free Sunday and decent jobs” and presented the pledge. The pledge was then signed by candidates to the European Parliament Election who were present at the annual meeting.

The day was also marked by a symbolic action. Participants drew a graffiti on the street in front of the conference venue asking “Freedom for Sunday”.

The 3rd of March will be the European Action day for a work-free Sunday and in many towns in Germany demonstrations will mark the day.

The German alliance for a Free Sunday (which includes the ver.di trade union and the Catholic Employees Movement, KAB) has sued the city of Frankfurt, which had approved three Sunday sales. The courts confirmed the view of those in favour of a work-free Sunday and the sales were forbidden.